Problems · by component

2010 Toyota Prius electronic stability control (esc) problems

58 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota Prius cite electronic stability control (esc), 2% of all 2,823 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
58
2% of all complaints
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electronic stability control (esc)

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“JUST PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER 8/26/2020 AND WAS DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN AND THE BRAKES WENT CRAZY WITH A CONTINUOUS BUZZING SOUND FROM THE BRAKES AND THE DASH ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ALL CAME ON, WOULD NOT STOP CAUSING ME TO RUN THE STOP SIGN AND MAKE A TURN TO SLOW DOWN AND FINALLY COME TO A STOP. HAD THE TROUBLE CODE READ AND THE STORE READ THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE AS C1391 AND RESET SO I COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE SLOWLY HOME. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS ON THIS DTC 1391 BUT MY 2010 VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THEY NEED TO RECALL ALL OF THE 2010 PRIUS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 28, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11351870
“PRIUS HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES AND HAS BEEN RUNNING PERFECTLY. TODAY WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY AND BEGAN ALARMING, WHILE SUDDENLY MY BRAKE LOCKED UP. THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENT AND INJURY IF IT OCCURRED UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A PREVIOUS BRAKE BOOSTER RECALL THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF AND WHICH HAS SINCE EXPIRED. THIS RECALL SHOULD BE REISSUED TO INCLUDE THE MANY 2010 PRIUSES AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2020Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11340021
“MY ABS SYSTEM STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF PROBLEMS, AND I STARTED GETTING CODES FOR ALL SORTS OF BRAKE-RELATED ISSUES. MY BRAKES ENDED UP LOCKING UP AND NOT WORKING, AND MY BATTERY IN MY CAR DIED BECAUSE IT WAS THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS NOT ABLE TO RECHARGE MY BATTERY. EVEN THOUGH I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH IT IN FEBRUARY, APPARENTLY TOYOTA SAID THAT BECAUSE I HAD A 2010 PRIUS, THAT SINCE NOVEMBER 31, 2019 HAD PASSED, THE RECALL/EXTENDED WARRANTY "RAN OUT" ON IT. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T FIXED IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET A DIAGNOSTICS RAN ON IT, THEY SAID THAT THEY NEEDED $3,200 TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THIS INCLUDED BOTH THE PURCHASING AND INSTALLATION OF A NEW BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER ASSEM AND AN ABS PUMP MOTOR ASSEM. I OBVIOUSLY DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE REPAIR AND THEY ARE TELLING ME TO GO KICK ROCKS. THIS IS NOT RIGHT AND BECAUSE OF THE BRAKE ISSUE NOT BEING FIXED IN THE FIRST PLACE, IT THEN ALLOWED MY BATTERY (WHICH RUNS AROUND $1,500) TO GET COMPLETELY DRAINED AND PREVENTED IT FROM BEING PROPERLY RECHARGED BY THE BRAKE SYSTEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 23, 2020Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11330449
“I BROUGHT MY TOYOTA PRIUS TO TOYOTA DEALER AS ABS ALERT WAS ON AND I LOST CONTROLLING THE BRAKE. TOYOTA DEALER GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR AT $2,850.00 ( P1391 ABNORMAL LEAK IN ACCUMULATOR PUMP REC MASTER CYLINDER WITH BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE BOOSTER PIMP ASSEMBLY) DUE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT EXPIRED 05.09.2020 OR 150,000,MILES. I'VE GOT ABS ALERT IN THE BEGINNING OF MAY'20, HOWEVER, DUE TO COVID-19 STAY-HOME ORDER, I HAD TO STAY HOME AND WON'T ABLE TO BRING MY CAR UNTIL END OF MAY, .2020. I WAS ADVISED BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO CONTACT TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATION AS THEY MAY CONSIDER TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY, SO I CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATION( ACTUALLY I WAS TRANSFERRED TO FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT) AND THEY DENIED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY, AND THEY REPEATED AS " WARRANTY IS WARRANTY" . I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA'S UNKIND DECISION AND SERVICE UNDER COVID-19 SITUATION. I READ TOYOTA 2010 HAS PROBLEMS OF BRAKE ISSUES, SO I WANT TOYOTA TAKE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX MY BRAKE PROBLEM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 6, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11327563
“BRAKES AND VDC SYSTEM CONSTANTLY ENGAGE DURING U-TURNS, TIGHT TURNING CIRCLES, CAUSING THE CAR TO BRAKE UNEXPECTEDLY. WHILE NOT ACCIDENT HAS HAPPENED, IT HAS CAUSED A FEW NEAR MISSES AS MY WINDOW TO TURN SHRINKS BECAUSE THE CAR IS BRAKING. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 2, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11326958
“WARNING LIGHTS FOR ABS, BRAKE AND SYMBOL INDICATING TRACTION CONTROL IS OPERATING ALL LIT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH A CORRESPONDING CHANGE IN BRAKE PEDAL FEEL. TOYOTA DEALER DIAGNOSED BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE AND INITIALLY QUOTED $1,915 TO REPAIR THEN CALLED BACK TO REVISE THIS TO $2,915. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THIS PART JUST NOT COVERING MY VIN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 18, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11324932

Showing 6 of 58 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.